


Let x Go

by itiaskia



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Bad Decisions, Banter, Child Neglect, Cousins, Dialogue Heavy, Gen, Ging Freecs takes a shower, Internal Conflict, POV Mito Freecs, Pre-Canon, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:16:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29815203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itiaskia/pseuds/itiaskia
Summary: Ging was back.Mito had waited for that moment to come from 10 years, but something about his arrival left her conflicted. He was different. Older, to state the obvious. Less like the cousin she'd idolized for so long. And he had a son now.But having a son and being a father were two different things.
Relationships: Ging Freecs & Gon Freecs, Ging Freecs & Mito Freecs, Gon Freecs & Mito Freecs
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Let x Go

For the most part, nothing ever happened on Whale Island. It was a tried and true statement, and as far as Mito could tell, that’s just how everyone expected it to be. The most interesting thing about the entire island were the people visiting from time to time, telling tales of lands far beyond the sea where stories were made. But here on Whale Island, everything was calm. The fisherman fished in the seas, bringing fresh produce to the market every morning. The farmers grew their produce in some of the flatter areas of the islands, and the seamstresses wove their textiles from whatever material they had available at the time, be it wool or silk. 

Mito was only fourteen when she spotted a figure breach the horizon, the first time she had noticed something out of place in years. She put down the book she’d been reading and got up off the rocking chair; it was her favorite place around the house to read. It was underneath the porch, nice and shaded from the sunlight, but it was bright enough to give her natural lighting for reading. 

As the figure walked closer and closer, Mito felt her heart skip a beat. No, it couldn’t be him, could it? After all this time?

“Ging?” 

Mito’s eyes widened. How many sleepless nights had she tried to dream of this return, year after year, hoping that one day he’d come back for her and she wouldn’t be left alone on this godforsaken island. Maybe he’d invite her to join him on his adventures, or better, he’d decide to stay, and the two of them could finally bond. There was so much they could talk about; he could teach her what he learned on his adventures and she could teach him all the skills she learned back home. Not that Ging would be interested in embroidery, but it was worth a shot. 

She had so much she wanted to tell him, but as her eyes took in his face, she realized that it really had been ten years since they’d last seen each other. He looked so much older, not at all how she remembered. His face was still playful and young, but he sported a nice tan, indicative of all the time he spent outdoors. His hair was just as messy as usual, and he desperately needed a haircut. But his impish grin was the same as she remembered, some things just never changed. 

There was one thing she’d overlooked; she didn’t want to face it, no, not yet. Not like this. The child in his arms was innocent, so why were the butterflies in her stomach causing a ruckus all of a sudden?

“Yo,” said Ging, casually, waving his free hand, other hand supporting his child. “It’s been quite some time, hasn’t it?”

“Some time… Ging, it’s been  _ ten years!”  _ exclaimed Mito. “You said you’d write to me! You promised when you left! And guess how many letters I got.” Ging adjusted the rim of his hat, giving Mito a better look at his face. Now that she was closer, she could see the slight stubble on his face, littering his cheeks to once again remind her that he had grown up without her. He’d quit being a kid at twelve to go off an adventure, and now he was so… different. 

“I never said I’d write letters, did I?” asked Ging, scratching the back of his head. Mito pushed her lips into a pout. That asshole! How could he forget something like that! She specifically  _ made _ him promise. He fucking promised.

But there was no use arguing about it now, there was no way to prove it and Ging could deny it until the cows came home. 

“Mito, who’s at the door,” said Abe, creaking the door open slowly, only to slam it all the way open the moment she laid eyes on Ging. “Oh my goodness! Look how big you’ve gotten!” Abe ran over to give Ging a hug, before looking over at the baby. “And you have a baby!”

“Hey, Abe,” said Ging smoothly, bending down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Can I get settled inside? I haven’t eaten all day.” Abe clasped her hands together. 

“You know what, we haven’t had dinner yet, Mito, go set the table, I’ll warm some leftovers,” said Abe. “If I knew you were coming, I would have made one of your favorite meals.”

Ging smiled awkwardly, passing Mito on his way through the door and into the kitchen. Despite being gone for so long, he looked as if he remembered the place, lazily kicking off his boots into the shoe corner before sitting down exactly in his old spot at the table. He sat his baby down on his lap. 

Mito stood awkwardly by the door still, trying to take in the full situation. Ging was back, and he had a child. A lot could happen in ten years. Mito felt the butterflies in her stomach break loose. There was so much she wanted to ask him, but in the same train of thought, she was a bit peeved that he decided to show up after all this time away without any sort of contact for years. 

Mito pulled up the seat across the table from him after putting the plates and drinks on it.

“Oh, you still have the blue rimmed ones,” said Ging. “I’m surprised they survived this long.” 

“Mito’s never broken a plate, dear,” said Abe, putting the food on the table. “Your cousin’s such a help around the house, never complains or anything.” Mito felt her cheeks blush. Abe was right, but it was still embarrassing. 

“Anyways, check this out,” said Ging, sitting the baby up on his lap. “What’s your name?”

The baby looked at him with his big golden eyes, blinking twice. 

“Gon.”

“See, he’s only the size of a potato sack and already smart enough to know his own name,” bragged Ging. “He’s my son all right. I mean, he looks just like me.”

Ging was proud of him alright, Mito could tell from the way he looked at him with such an admirable gaze. Gon could barely talk, and he was getting more attention from him than she was. She may as not even be in the room right now. Mito fidgeted in her seat. Was she jealous? About a  _ baby?  _ Pathetic. Stupid Ging, why did she want his attention so badly anyways? Just because he was her older cousin? The image of him she crafted in her mind since he’d been gone was nothing like current Ging. But maybe it was for the best. Of course her version wouldn’t be the same, he was gone for  _ ten _ years. A lot could happen in ten years, and the proof was staring her right in the face with his buggy eyes. 

“Where’s his mother?” asked Abe. “Do we get to meet the lovely lady?” Ging waved her off with his hand, an exasperated look on his face. 

“I doubt it, we split up a while ago,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “Long story.” Classic Ging, saying just as much as he needed to, and no more, giving just the bare necessary details and letting everyone fill in the gaps.

“Trust me, I have time,” said Abe. “This is the mother of my great grandchild we’re talking about.” 

“It’d take longer to explain than you have left,” teased Ging, getting a chuckle out of Abe. Mito bit her lip. It wasn’t right that he got to make fun of Abe, especially about her old age. Not to mention, getting away with it like he did. Just because he was away for a while didn’t give him a pass to be rude. 

“I’ve still got a few years left in me, I’m more resilient than I look,” Abe said with a wink. 

“If he doesn’t want to share, he doesn’t have to,” said Mito, a little bit  _ too _ loudly. Everyone turned to look at her, even little Gon. How could the two of them banter so familiarly? It was as if Ging drew a whole nother side of Abe out of what she knew. She seemed more lively, and had a bit of a bite to her. 

“Sounds like someone’s jealous,” smirked Ging, giving Mito a little kick under the table. “Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s a few fishermen in their 40s looking for a second wife just about now, maybe some of them still have a decent hairline.” 

“Shut  _ up,”  _ groaned Mito. Ging was teasing her, but he wasn’t quite wrong about the demographic on Whale Island. It wasn’t like there were many other kids her age on the island, so her options were limited. But Mito would rather forego marriage than be some older man’s second wife. 

“I remember when you were a little kid, telling me all about how you were going to grow up and marry Ging-” 

“Shut up shut up shut  _ up,”  _ said Mito, waving her hands in front of her. “Abe you can’t hold me accountable for things I said when I was that young, all kids say stupid things. It’s not fair.”

“You were eight-”

“Enough!” 

Mito felt her cheeks heat up, only serving to further embarrass her. Why did Abe have to bring up all that stupid kid stuff. She wasn’t eight anymore; she was  _ fourteen.  _ That was a huge difference. Fourteen year olds didn’t joke about immature stuff like that. She couldn’t bring herself to look up at Ging, keeping her eyes fixated on her lap. If he didn’t think she was a little kid before, he definitely did now.

“Can I hold my great grandson?” asked Abe, breaking the awkward tension at the table. Ging nodded, holding Gon out underneath his armpits as he passed him over the table. Abe cradled him in her arms, giving him a little poke on the nose. 

“He’s such a happy baby,” said Abe, making faces at him as Gon cooed at her. 

“Yeah, he really likes people,” said Ging, leaning back in his chair slightly. “I’m lucky I had my friends helping out when he was a lot younger.”

“How long are you staying for?” blurted out Mito. Everyone turned to look at her. It was definitely the question on everyone’s mind, but only she was blunt enough to outright ask it. Ging stroked his chin.

“Hm, not sure,” he said. “I just decided to show up ‘cuz I was in the area, I’ll stick around for a bit, I think.” Mito scrunched her eyebrows together. He could have shown up many times before, “in the area”, what a fucking joke. And besides, how long was “a bit” anyways? Was that a few hours? Days? Weeks? How could Ging get away with so little concrete plans. 

“Well, thanks for dinner, Abe, I see you still know how to cook,” he said, taking his hat off and tossing it over towards the couch, letting it just fall onto the cushions.

“Mito helped me make it,” said Abe, giving Mito a little pinch on the cheek. She shrugged away from her, crossing her arms. 

“I just cut the vegetables, that was it,” said Mito. “Barely anything.”

“That’s the preparation, it’s the most important part,” snapped Abe. “Don’t be ungrateful, be proud of your work.” Mito chewed on her tongue, looking over to see if Ging was even paying attention, and to no surprise, he wasn’t. He was more fixated on making faces at Gon from across the table. Even a  _ baby _ could hold his attention better than her. 

“Is my old room still available or did you rent it out?” joked Ging. 

“I wish we had,” muttered Mito under her breath. Ging stuck his tongue out at her. 

“If you did I’d just take your room and you’d get the couch,” he said haughtily. “Guests get the best treatment, right Abe?”

“If you’re a guest, then it’s not your room, isn’t it?” said Abe, giving him a sage eyebrow raise. Ging held his hands up to her. 

“Touché. Fine, as a not quite guest, I’ll help clean up,” said Ging, taking his plate and sticking it into the sink before walking over towards the living room. 

“Hey, at least wash it off!” yelled Mito. 

“I said I’d help clean up, not that I’d clean up.”

“Clean your damn plate,” said Abe. Ging’s ego seemed to deflate as he walked back into the room and rinsed off his plate. “And take a bath, I can smell your fumes from here.” 

Ging turned around, thoroughly offended. 

“Abe-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” she said. Ging rolled his eyes as he walked over towards the bathroom. Mito tapped her feet together under the table anxiously as she heard the water turn on. Ten years. Had it really been that long? It felt weird, having Ging here, it was as if he both fit back into place yet stuck out at the same time. 

“Be a bit nicer to your cousin,” said Abe, giving Gon a little bounce on her lap. 

“Huh?” Mito prompted, looking up from her plate. She didn’t think she was being mean to Ging at all, but if Abe could tell she was a bit irked then Ging probably could too. 

“I know you’re upset he went off for a while,” said Abe, still fixated on Gon. “But he’s here now, so it’d be a waste not to spend time with him.”  
“He has to want to spend time with me, too,” said Mito sharply, crossing her arms. Abe gave her a sympathetic glance. 

“I’m sure he will, he wouldn’t have come home if he didn’t care.”

Abe’s words comforted her, yet felt a bit chilling at the same time. Did Ging care about her, was that the reason he came back to Whale Island? 

* * *

The first time she climbed up onto the roof was when Ging was sulking up there after being yelled at by Abe. Mito didn’t remember what the argument was about, just that he helped her out the window and made sure she didn’t fall off. 

She only came out here a few times since then, sometimes to clear her mind and watch the stars, or to smoke without Abe lecturing her about it. This was one of those times. Mito took a long drag of her cigarette as she felt the roof beneath her creaking slightly. She felt her heart skip a beat; Ging actually remembered their sitting spot? Her excitement was short-lived. What was she, some ignorant child? He was just going to get up and leave again once he was bored with her. That was it, she wasn’t interesting enough to keep him on Whale Island. The novelty would wear off, and she’d be once again left behind to fend for herself. 

“You think you can just show up after all this time?” snapped Mito, bringing her legs up to her chest, holding onto them tightly. 

“Better late than never,” muttered Ging, looking up at the stars above him. Mito gritted her teeth. Even now, he wouldn’t even look at her. Until he did. He tapped her shoulder, and Mito turned towards him a lot quicker than she liked. 

“Can I cop a cig?” asked Ging. Mito glared at him before reluctantly reaching into her pocket to pull one out for him and light it. He took a puff of it, before coughing. “Whale Island original, can’t really get them like this anywhere else.”

“In their full shitty glory,” said Mito under her breath. Ging smirked at that. “They’re cheaper than the import brands.”

“And twice as likely to give you lung cancer.”

Mito rolled her eyes at this. Why had he even come up here, it certainly wasn’t to talk about cigarettes. Unless this was his idea of small talk. It felt a bit awkward; their first conversation by themselves in years, and there was nothing eventful about it. It was plain, and boring. 

“What are you doing here,” said Mito. 

“This was my sitting spot first,” said Ging, proudly. “Thought I’d see if I was still small enough to squeeze through the window. I was right, since, well, I’m here right now.”  
“I can see that,” teased Mito, eyeing him up and down. He hadn’t grown very tall. No, imaginary Ging was a lot taller than this. 

“Shut up, I’m still growing,” he said, rolling his eyes. 

“I doubt it,” said Mito under her breath. The two of them sat in silence. Mito relaxed her legs, letting them dangle off the edge. If she slipped, would Ging grab her? Or would he let her fall as a lesson not to sit so close to the edge. Which one would prove he cared more? Mito looked down at the ground below her, before looking back up at Ging. 

“I waited for you, for years. You never wrote to me, you didn’t fucking care.”

“Oh come on, don’t do this, Mito.” Mito flinched at the sound of her name from his lips, spoken with such disdain. Was this how he saw her? Just an annoying little  _ kid _ like the one he left behind all those years ago? Mito felt her fist clench around the side of her skirt, bunching up some of the fabric. 

“So you admit it then, you don’t care about me.” The moment the words left her mouth she knew she couldn’t take them back. It was a blunder, the fatal kind. 

“I, what? Don’t put words in my mouth, it’s not like that,” Ging scoffed. 

“If you cared about me, then why did you leave?” 

The words slipped out faster than she could hold them back. It was as if the world around her kicked into hyperdrive, the conversation was moving faster than she could think of responses. 

“Because I wanted to,” said Ging. “Isn’t that reason enough? This place is a boring shithole, the most exciting thing is the fact that some of the wildlife can kill you if you’re looking to pick a fight.” Mito turned away to take another puff of her cigarette. Nothing he said was wrong, and it was frustrating. It was just like him to be thinking of himself, and only himself. 

“C’mon, Mito,” said Ging, resting a hand on her back. “What did you want, for me to stay here forever? 

“I wanted you to, so badly,” Mito said, gritting her eyes to keep the tears from flowing. “I wanted to know what you were up to, what kinds of adventures you’d been going on. And I wanted you to be interested in what I was up to.”

“Well, what have you done all these years then?” asked Ging. Mito watched as the smoke plumed off the tip of his cigarette, wisping up towards the stars. What  _ had _ she been up to all these years? Ging had been off adventuring, and she’d done  _ nothing.  _ “Anyways, I’m here now, you’d think if I made you this mad for leaving you’d be at least somewhat grateful to see me.”

“Shut up,” said Mito, giving Ging a little push on the shoulder. He rolled his eyes and shoved her back, harder, starting a back and forth until Mito finally stopped and looked out over the rolling hills. Maybe she was being too hard on Ging. Sure, she was mad at him, but this was  _ Ging.  _ He was really back. Mito turned to face him, taking in how the reflection from the moon illuminated his face. It was not the first time she noticed it, but he had aged a lot since she last saw him. The closer she looked, the more she noticed markings that hadn’t been there before, like the slight scar on his cheek. She found herself reaching out to touch it, Ging flinching in response. 

“You need to shave. And you need a haircut, too,” said Mito, using that as an excuse to touch the scruff on his face. She almost pulled her hand back with how prickly it felt. “And Gon too, his hair’s going to grow long enough for him to pull it and get mad, you wouldn’t want that, would you?”

Ging rolled his eyes. 

“Okay,  _ mom,”  _ he said teasingly. “Anything else you’d like to nag me about?” Mito pursed her lips together and finished her cigarette before snuffing it on the rooftop and flicking it off the edge. 

“I do not  _ nag,”  _ snapped Mito. Ging raised an eyebrow. 

“You totally do. But that’s okay, that just means you’ll make a good mother someday,” said Ging offhandedly. Mito tapped her feet together, trying her best not to blush. It was the closest thing she’d gotten as a compliment all night. 

Would she be a good mother?

It never really occurred to her that someday she might grow up and have kids of her own. That some day she’d start a family. That felt so far off in the future that she had disregarded the possibility, even. 

If Ging stayed they could raise Gon together. Maybe she’d forgive Ging for being gone all those years. Mito could picture it in her mind, Gon growing up on Whale Island, with her. But Ging… Ging hated it here. As she watched him finish off the shitty cigarette, it only reminded her that though he was born here, it wasn’t his home. He wanted to be out, exploring, free, not cooped up here on the island. And besides, Ging was irresponsible, Gon would be in such better hands if she was caring for him. 

But it was a pipe dream. Ging would get bored and leave as soon as he came, maybe with a goodbye, maybe out of the blue whenever he fancied. Hell, he could leave the moment they got back inside, grab Gon, and go. And she would be none the wiser. 

Mito rested her head on his shoulder. She felt Ging tense up for a moment, before relaxing, as if this were unexpected. It probably was, but Mito didn’t care. 

“Ging, don’t leave tonight,” said Mito, closing her eyes. She didn’t want to see his expression. When he wanted people to know how he felt, it was obvious; but Mito could always tell when he was hiding his emotions. It was a moment before Ging spoke again. 

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

* * *

Mito stared in front of the mirror. This was definitely a mistake. Locks of orange hair littered the ground around her in a messy fashion as she held up yet again another strand of hair to the metal scissors. 

She promised to give Ging a haircut last night despite not knowing how to cut hair. But fifteen minutes ago she’d gotten the bright idea of taking the scissors to her own hair to practice. Just a snip here, a snip there, how hard could it be? 

Harder than she expected. Mito grabbed a magazine off the top pile and flipped through it, trying to find an even shorter haircut to manage. She kept clipping just a bit too much off, screwing up the back part. It was hard to tell how long her hair was even with the mirrors, everything felt all backwards and the depth was off. Mito snipped again, sending another lock of hair off her head. It met the rest of them down at her feet. Mito snipped little bits of the top, off the sides. A pixie cut wasn’t too bad. It was just supposed to be a little trim, but...

Abe was going to be  _ pissed. _

Mito smoothed out her short hair, running her hand through it to part it to the side, then in front, then down the middle, trying to find out what looked somewhat decent and what didn’t. She eventually settled for a headband, slicking her hair back and sticking it on to keep it out of her face. She looked at herself in the mirror. 

She looked older. Not by too much, but it was a more mature haircut than the two pigtails or the ponytail she used to sport. She put her hands on her hips, striking different poses to see herself from different angles. No, this wasn’t bad at all, just different. 

Ging would tease her for it, though. Either that, or he’d ignore it completely. Maybe if she fished for a compliment she could catch one. 

Mito cleaned up the mess she made on the floor of the bathroom and knocked on Ging’s door, scissors in one hand. 

“Ready for your haircut?” she said, watching as he dug through some boxes in his room, looking for something.

“One minute,” said Ging, tossing out what looked like game cartridges. “Damn it.”

“What are you looking for?” asked Mito. Ging turned around, sitting cross legged on the ground. 

“I’m looking for an old game console we had here, I wanted to test something, but whatever,” he said, sighing. “I’ll do it some other time.”

Mito stopped and waited, looking him dead in the eyes. Had he just not noticed, or did he just not want to say anything. She lingered for a few more moments. 

“I cut my hair too,” said Mito, pointing to her face. “See?”

“Oh. Cool,” said Ging, not really caring. Mito let out a sigh of relief. At least he didn’t  _ hate _ it. “So did you just fuck it up and have to keep cutting shorter, or-”

“No! I wanted short hair, and I thought I may as well give the scissors a spin first,” lied Mito, crossing her arms. 

“I liked it better longer,” said Ging. 

“Well, I don’t care,” Mito said as the lies just kept on coming. Ging shrugged his shoulders before getting up. 

“Gon’s napping,” he said, gesturing over to the bed where the toddler was curled up in a ball, half under the sheets. “The kid sleeps like a rock once he actually goes down.”

Ging had a peculiar smirk on his face. Mito looked at him intently, trying to figure out what it was for, before giving up and nodding her head in the direction out the door. 

The two of them crammed into the bathroom, Mito pulling out a stool for Ging to sit on so she could use the mirror to her advantage. She put some old newspapers on the floor this time so she wouldn’t have to sweep up the hair this time. 

“I remember when you were little, one time I caught you in here with Abe’s lipstick,” said Ging, rubbing his hand against his cheeks. “You had it smeared  _ everywhere _ and it took forever to get off.” 

“I don’t remember that,” said Mito, feeling her cheeks heat up. Ging blew air out of his nose haughtily. 

“You were really little, just a bit older than Gon,” said Ging. He tilted his head to the side. “I think you ate it, too.”

“Stop,” whined Mito. She stopped herself short, though; whining only made her look more immature. She felt a slight twinge of frustration every time Ging or Abe mentioned her as a little kid. She wasn’t a little kid anymore, but it felt like everyone kept forgetting it. Abe didn’t see Ging as twelve, why did he still see her as a child? Mito prepared the scissors, snipping away at the back of Ging’s hair. “You know you’re sporting a mullet, right?” 

“Mullets are cool, though,” he protested. Mito snipped it shorter. 

“Maybe twenty years ago, sure,” she said, pulling some hair between her fingers to measure it. 

“I haven’t had my hair this short in a while,” said Ging, examining it in the mirror. “Do you know how long it took me to grow? I shouldn’t have trusted you with my hair.” Mito felt a hint of pride that Ging  _ trusted _ her with his hair. It was stupid, and childish, but she could take these little victories. 

“Oh stop it, it looks fine,” said Mito. It looked  _ good. _ She was silently grateful that she’d practiced on her own hair first, because getting it even was not as easy as she expected. “But the scruff has got to go. Did you not shave for a day or is this the most you can grow?”

Ging rubbed his hand against the side of his face.

“Do you hate it that much?” asked Ging, dodging the question. Mito rolled her eyes. Judging by how short the hair was, he likely normally shaved but didn’t because of the boat trip. Which meant he was just messing with her about it at this point. 

“If I say yes will you get rid of it?” she asked. Ging smirked. 

“No.”

“I will,” said Mito, leaning over to grab the shaving cream from the bathtub. Legs, face, what was the difference, they’re both skin. She cleaned out the razor and set it on the sink. “You’re going to smell like strawberries.” 

Ging shrugged. 

“According to Abe, anything’d be an improvement,” he joked as Mito slapped a hand full of shaving cream on each side of his face. “Hey!”

“Just making sure to lather it up,” said Mito, finishing up with Ging’s face so she could rinse her hands off in the sink. She squatted down back next to him. 

“Wait.” Ging looked up at her intently, putting a dollop of the shaving cream on his finger. He brought his hand closer, pressing it above Mito’s lip. 

“You should shave your mustache too,” Ging said, holding back a smirk. Mito felt the blood boiling in her as she smacked him across the cheek, pink shaving cream splattering everywhere. How fucking dare he. Mito felt an increasing discomfort welling up inside her. Ging was an  _ asshole, _ why did she ever think he was cool? 

“Oh come on, I was just joking,” said Ging, but Mito was already standing, wiping off her face with a rag before tossing it onto the ground. “You’ve been making fun of me all day, I thought you were cool with it.”

Mito balled her fists by her sides before turning around to face him. Calm down, he was just trying to get under her skin.

“Well, it’s different,” Mito stammered. “You’re supposed to grow facial hair, it’s  _ normal _ for you. And besides I do  _ not _ have a mustache, it’s just wispy stuff.” Mito ran over to the mirror and leaned in closely. She noticed her cheeks burning red in embarrassment. Some of the neighborhood boys had pointed out the tiny amount of hair that grew their months ago, but she tended to forget about it and pretend it didn’t exist. If she didn’t look too closely, then it didn’t. In fact, she hadn’t thought about it since then, until  _ Ging _ brought it up. 

“Well, at least we know you’re a Freecs for sure,” muttered Ging under his breath. Mito rolled her eyes at him. She studied his expression. He didn’t look as carefree as before, perhaps her aversion to his comment actually struck a nerve with him. Mito felt herself bringing her hand back up to cover her lips. Ging turned to look at her. Mito laughed. Ging raised an eyebrow at her. 

“What’s so funny?”

“You look incredibly stupid with all that shaving cream still on your face,” she giggled, handing him the razor. 

“Gee, I wonder who put that there,” Ging said, before getting up so he could look into the mirror himself. He shaved a strip off his face. “I haven’t used shaving cream in so long, I’m surprised how smoothly it glides.”

“What do you normally use?”

“You don’t want to know.”

It was an offhanded comment, again, but Mito couldn’t help but feel discomfort about it. Ging was confusing. He felt very open at some times, and very closed off at others. She  _ did _ want to know what he normally used instead of shaving cream, but the assumption she didn’t was his way of disguising he didn’t  _ want _ her to know. Whether or not that was because he thought she was disapprove, or because he was too lazy to tell her, it didn’t matter, because in the end it had the same conclusion: he kept himself closed. 

“How’s this?” asked Ging, turning to face Mito. Whoa. 

He looked a  _ lot _ younger than he previously did. In fact, if it weren’t for his deep voice, Mito would have guessed that he looked around her age. It was surreal in a sense, that he could change so much in appearance in just a few minutes. 

“It’s fine.”

“Just fine?” asked Ging, rinsing the remaining shaving cream off his face before grabbing a towel to wipe his face down. “Uhg, I look like a little kid.”

“Your words, not mine,” smirked Mito. Maybe she was being too harsh on Ging. He was clearly trying his best to get along with her. And at least now she had more memories of him rather than what little she remembered from when they were children, or secondhand stories passed on by Abe and the neighbors. She hoped he’d stay a bit longer. 

* * *

Ging had disappeared early the next morning. At first Mito thought he was sleeping in, but after peaking into his room, her heart had sunk. Had Ging really just left all of a sudden like that? 

Until she heard the revving of an engine outside and came running out of the house to see what all the noise was about. She didn’t want to tell him, but she really thought he’d left without warning. 

“A motorcycle, seriously?” Mito asked, running her hands against the smooth metal. 

“Old man Dan said he’s been trying to get rid of it for years now, so I decided to take it off his hands,” said Ging. “And besides, now market trips won’t take half a day.” 

“It’s so outdated,” said Mito, hopping on it. “You sure it won’t fall apart while you’re riding it?”

“It’s not outdated, it’s  _ vintage, _ and get off before you break it. It’s  _ mine _ now,” said Ging, giving her a little push. Mito pouted then hopped off. Despite her comment, it did seem rather sturdy. But then it hit her. Ging had purchased a motorcycle, a form or transportation. Was he sticking around for longer than she expected? Might as well indulge him in it. It did  _ kind of _ look cool… 

“Let me get the camera so we can get a photo before you crash it,” said Mito, running back inside to rummage around for one of the cameras they had in the house. She brought it back out, strap already around her neck. “Say cheese.”

“Does this pose look cool?” asked Ging, leaning on the side of it. 

“No.”

“How about this one?” he asked, striking another pose. Mito rolled her eyes. Ging sighed. 

“Seriously? You’re just being picky,” he said, sitting down. “Here, now you can see more of the motorcycle.” Mito looked through the camera lense. Honestly, it wasn’t bad framing. She snapped the picture, twice, to make sure it turned out well. But no more than twice, otherwise Abe would be mad at her for wasting storage.

“Anyways, I picked up some loukoumades from Liza’s bakery, I didn’t realize she passed a few years ago,” said Ging, awkwardly offering Mito a white box after he got up off the ground. “They won’t be the same because her niece made them and skimps on the cinnamon, but I thought they were alright.”

Mito opened the box, noticing that at least  _ one _ of the fried honey pastries was missing. She closed the lid and looked up at him, putting a hand on her hip. Seriously?

“You ate one?”

“Well, yea, I had to make sure they were up to my standards,” said Ging, crossing his arms. “Besides, I got them for us all to  _ share.” _ Mito felt a little sting. Of course, he got them to  _ share. _ For a moment, she thought Ging actually remembered these were her favorites as a little kid and got them for her specifically. But as always, he had to go and screw it up. Typical.

“I’ll go stick them inside before the flies get at them,” said Mito, awkwardly, running inside to put the pastries away. She put the camera back down on the table. Mito took a deep breath. Of course Ging wasn’t going to act like she wanted him to, he’d grown into his own person, and the version of him in her mind had stayed the same. Instead of getting frustrated with him, why not try to find out what he was really like? 

“Thanks for the loukoumades,” said Mito, awkwardly joining Ging back outside. He smiled. 

“I thought you’d like them,” he said. There was a weird chill in the air, not a physical one, but an emotional one. The two of them locked eyes and suddenly realized something they had both overlooked, something very,  _ very _ important. 

“Where’s Gon?” asked Mito. Ging’s expression dropped, closing his eyes for a moment to think. 

“Shit, I gave him to Liza’s other niece to hold when I went to the shop-”

“You forgot your kid in the pastry shop?” exclaimed Mito. How does someone forget a whole ass baby! Ging threw his hands up in the air. 

“Look, I… Nevermind, I’m going to go grab him, want to come?” asked Ging, hopping on the motorcycle. 

“You sure it won’t  _ break _ if we both get on?”

“Nah, I’m sure you’re light enough,” said Ging, patting the back of the seat. “You coming?”

“Sure,” said Mito, helping herself onto the bike. She felt a bit awkward pressed up against his back, arms wrapped around his middle. It was a bit embarrassing, like she was just tacked on as an afterthought. Bikes were for one person anyways. 

Much to Mito’s surprise, the motorcycle was  _ not _ as creaky and old as it looked, and rode smoother than she expected. She was silent until they slowed down a bit, trying to think of how to approach the topic that had been bothering her with Ging. 

“So do you just normally lose track of Gon?” asked Mito. Ging hummed to himself for a moment, thinking. 

“Not entirely, if he’s not with me, he’s usually with one of my friends,” said Ging. “But man… That totally slipped my mind. You probably know Liza’s nieces better than I do, do you think they’re trustworthy?”

“Ging. The younger one is eight,” gasped Mito. Did he really just...

“And?”

Mito didn’t know what to say to that. Did Ging seriously not care that an  _ eight year old _ had his toddler right now? But if he didn’t mind an eight year old watching Gon, then surely he saw her as responsible enough. 

“Nevermind,” said Mito, pouting as she looked off to the side. She couldn’t tell if Ging purposefully made himself hard to argue with, or if he was just difficult as a person. Either way, it bothered her. 

Ging was right about one thing, it certainly didn’t take long to get into town. 

“Wait here,” said Ging as Mito stood next to the parked motorcycle. She hadn’t been down to the market all week, but it was still bustling with people. It was usually a half day trip for her and Abe, maybe one of the neighbors passing would let them hop on a cart for part of the way if they happened to pass them, but usually trips had to be planned out in advance. 

She looked over at the bakery, and at the people passing. Just how much did Ging remember of this place? How many people did he assume were tourists because he didn’t remember their faces? 

Mito tapped her foot against the ground as she waited for Ging to get Gon. He was taking too long. Did Liza’s niece lose him? Did someone abduct him? The longer Ging was inside the shop, the more worried she got. What was he  _ doing _ in there? 

After what felt like an eternity, Ging finally opened the door, holding it in place as he spent another few minutes in conversation. Little Gon was propped up on his hip. Mito felt her eye twitch. Had he seriously made her wait so he could chat? He was  _ just _ here this morning. 

“Took you long enough,” said Mito.

“I was in there for five minutes,” said Ging, getting back on the motorcycle. “But since you’re in such a hurry, for whatever reason, let’s go.”

“Where are you going to put Gon?” asked Mito. Ging looked at her like she was stupid. 

“I’m going to hold him?” Ging suggested, confused as to why Mito would even suggest such a thing. Mito rolled her eyes and got back on the motorcycle. 

They made it back fine, but Mito couldn’t keep calm. She kept thinking, what if they went over a bump, and Ging lost his grip? Or what if they got into a crash. Or Gon squirmed just a  _ bit _ too much. 

Mito got off the motorcycle and walked right up to the front of it. She slipped her hands under Gon’s armpits and lifted him right out of Ging’s arms. She didn’t have the right words for the conversation on the way back, but they needed to have it sooner rather than later. 

“You need to keep a better eye on Gon,” snapped Mito. “What if he wasn’t with Liza’s niece? Then what? What if he wandered off, or someone took him, or-”

“Mito  _ please,”  _ said Ging, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Gon was fine, nothing happened-”

“It  _ could _ have,” Mito said, lowering her voice so she wouldn’t upset Gon. “You just,  _ forgot _ about him, casually.”

“What should I have done when I found out he was missing, huh? Should I have panicked, and just  _ left _ him there? Should I have accused Liza’s niece of  _ stealing _ Gon? What, tell me,” Ging said with a bite in his words. Mito scoffed. 

“Maybe you should keep better track of your kid,” said Mito. “And you didn’t even secure him down with anything on the way back, what if you dropped him?” Ging looked away, clearly trying his best to ignore her. 

“I’m not going to  _ drop _ him,” said Ging, pushing his lips to the side. “What, do you think I don’t care, or something? Don’t try to pin it on me like this.”

“Would it kill you to be a bit more careful?”

Ging waved her off with his hand. 

“See the forest down there? I wandered off once when I was three, no one knew where I was for nine hours before I finally got hungry and tired of hiding and decided to come back,” said Ging. “Hell, you even fell off a canoe once into the lake when you were really little, and look, we turned out fine.”

“Did I fall into the water, or did you drop me.” 

Mito glared at him. 

“What? I… huh?” Ging looked taken aback. “A lack of supervision is one thing, but I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt you.”

“Negligence is a form of harm,” said Mito, looking back down at Gon, who was blissfully unaware of anything happening around him. She sighed. Maybe Ging did have a point. Was it worth worrying about things that  _ could _ have happened when they clearly didn’t? She begrudgingly handed Gon back to Ging. 

“Keep better track of him,” she said as Ging awkwardly held his squirming son. 

“Yes,  _ ma’am.” _

Mito rolled her eyes at him as she went back into the house. She sat down on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. Seriously, would Ging even had remembered he left Gon back in town if she didn’t mention it? Maybe. Probably. But that wasn’t the point. 

* * *

It was a quiet morning. Too quiet. Ging had gotten back late that night; it was Abe’s fault, she encouraged him to meet up with some of his old acquaintances on the island. Did Abe know he was going to be gone  _ all night? _ Mito crossed her arms. Abe always gave her a 9 pm curfew. It wasn’t fair, Ging could just go out and do whatever he damn pleased, all the time. He did it then, and he did it now.

Mito cracked the door open, moreso out of curiosity than anything else. Ging was passed out in his old bed in his boxers; at least he had the common decency not to sleep in his clothes. She wanted to look away, but her eyes were fixated on what appeared to be either a burnt or mangled skin on the side of his thigh, the contrast between the rest of the skin was jarring. Just what kinds of trouble was he getting into? From what Mito could tell, the recovery process didn’t look painless at all. Was it sheer recklessness or was this just expected from hunters? Was he putting Gon through that too? 

The moment Mito’s thoughts went to Gon was the moment she realized that the little boy was nowhere to be found. 

Where had Gon  _ gone? _

The boy was old enough to crawl, not to mention walk short distances. If he wasn’t in this room, he could be anywhere. Mito took a step inside, careful not to wake her sleeping cousin, and scanned the floor like a hawk. Besides the mess of clothes Ging had strewn on the floor, there wasn’t any objects he could be hiding behind. Mito picked up Ging’s shirt and tossed it onto the bed, half hoping to find Gon under it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. Mito took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. So irresponsible. 

She shut the door quietly and started scouring the rest of the house, looking behind couches and under tables. She lifted up the newspaper, called his name, but he was nowhere to be found. 

Mito sat up on the kitchen counter and cracked open the milk, taking a swig right from the bottle. A dribble of milk fell down the side of her cheek. If Ging could get away doing this when he was 12, she could get away with it at 14. Mito sighed as she kicked her feet dangling off the edge. Had Ging even brought Gon home last night? She could have sworn she heard his squeaky little voice in the middle of the night when Ging got back, but there was a part of her that made her feel as if she just  _ wanted  _ Ging to have brought him back safely. Mito stared out the window. Wait. 

She got closer, noticing a shadow on the porch. Was someone out there?

Hopping off the counter, Mito put the milk away before opening the door. She let go of the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Gon was okay, sitting on the porch steps as if he didn’t have a care in the world. 

“Since when did you learn how to open doors,” said Mito in a soft voice, giving Gon a ruffle through his hair. The toddler seemed unphased, teething on a stick he likely just picked off the ground. While a little dirt never hurt, it didn’t look all that appetizing. Mito shuddered before taking it out of his hands.

Gon scrunched up his face and grabbed at the stick as Mito held it up and further away from him. He squeaked a few times, trying to reach it with his stubby little arms. Mito laughed. He was so small, yet so determined. 

“I’ll get you something better to chew on,” said Mito, running back inside. She left the door open so she could keep an eye on Gon while going through the materials in the kitchen. Quick, what was something nonlethal he could chew on? She settled on a wooden spoon, bringing it back out to him. It was no grubby stick, but it was close enough. 

“See, much nicer,” said Mito, watching as Gon went to town on the spoon, munching away as if he didn’t have a care in the world. She was relieved to have found him, but the more she thought about the situation, the more  _ pissed _ she grew with Ging. What if he had wandered into the forest and fallen into a foxbear nest? Or fell into the lake? Or got abducted by one of the sketchy tourists? 

There was nothing to suggest he hadn’t. Ging was still asleep, and Gon still escaped the house. Mito felt herself staring at the forest down by the bottom of the hill. It wasn’t an impossible trek back up and down. Mito winced at the thought. She would never do anything to intentionally hurt Gon, and neither would Ging, but without proof of his negligence she’d have nothing to wager against him. 

Mito propped Gon up on her hip as she carried him down the hill. 

“Bird,” said Gon, pointing over towards some ravens which had just taken flight. He waved his hand at them playfully. Mito smiled. 

“Yep!” she said, looking over at them. “Those are ravens. They’re cool birds.” Gon stared at her blankly. He was just a toddler, but it was still good to talk to them so they could develop good speech skills. How old was he, anyways? Did Ging even know? Mito scoffed at the notion, knowing full well that he may have even  _ forgotten _ when the kid’s birthday was. Did he even remember his own birthday? Hers?

Mito spotted the berry bush, holding Gon out of reach. She plucked one off the bush, biting into it quickly before rubbing the juice on the back of her hand. It tingled slightly. Mito breathed a sigh of relief. Good, these were just the spicy ones. They were similar enough to a poisonous variety in the area, but that made them a better prop. She plucked a few more off the bush before walking Gon back up the hill. Mito held the crimson berries in her hand; she didn’t have to do this, in fact, she shouldn’t. But the more she looked at Gon’s cheery face, the angrier she got at Ging. His kid was completely unsupervised out here while he was  _ napping.  _ Father of the year. Mito sat Gon down on the porch where she found him, and put the berries in his hands. Maybe he wasn’t dumb enough to eat strange berries, but only time would tell. 

Mito went back inside and sat down at the kitchen table, waiting. She looked over at the door, hands shaking. Maybe this was a huge mistake. Giving Gon the berries was cruel. Oh, why had she done that! To prove a point! This was little Gon she was dealing with, not Ging. Using Gon to get back at Ging, had she really stooped down to that level. Mito bolted up from her seat and ran over to the door, just in time to hear Gon screaming his head off. 

“Ging!” yelled Mito, dragging his little toddler back inside from underneath his armpits. Ging ran out of his room, one arm still not in his shirt as he hastily put it on. He looked completely disheveled, clearly waking up for the first moment today. He rubbed his eyes before noticing Gon crying in Mito’s arms. 

“Oh shit, what happened?” asked Ging, yawning as he picked up Gon and set him on the counter. Gon’s little face was red, tears gushing from his eyes as he cried. “Did he fall?” Ging turned him around, running his hands through his hair to check for bruises. 

“I don’t know, I woke up when I heard him crying, I thought he was with you-” Mito felt sick to her stomach with the lie, looking at the screaming child. Luckily, Ging pried the remaining berries from out of Gon’s little hands. 

“What are you  _ doing?”  _ asked Mito as Ging popped a berry in his mouth. 

“Finding out if it’s the spicy one or the poisonous one,” Ging said in a muffled voice, spitting the berry out in the sink before pulling the milk out of the fridge to take a sip of it. “Wow, those are  _ spicy.” _

“There were better ways to test that, you know,” muttered Mito under her breath. She grabbed a smaller glass out of the cupboard and poured some milk in it.

“Dada, help,” Gon said, bottom lip quivering. Mito felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Ging’s shocked expression. He hesitated, frozen in the moment, until he took a deep breath to calm himself down. He reached into Gon’s mouth to pull out the berry bits. 

“It’s okay little guy, I know it hurts,” cooed Ging as he took the berry skins out of his mouth and threw them in the sink. “OW. Hey, don’t bite me, I'm trying to help you.” 

“Give him a break, he’s in pain,” said Mito, looking at the tears still flowing from Gon’s eyes. Her chest tightened up. The little boy looked so scared. He trusted her that she was giving him a yummy snack, not that she was going to give him something that hurt his mouth as much as it did. 

“Here, drink this,” said Mito, helping Gon hold the milk glass as Ging filled a glass of water. “Really? You got milk for yourself and not the kid?”

“I… You took the milk from me, can’t I try to rinse his mouth out a little?” asked Ging. 

“Just, get out of the way, you’re not helping,” snapped Mito, wiping Gon’s tears off his face with a tissue. Ging winced and took a step back. 

“He’ll be fine.” 

Ging wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm as Gon calmed down. He sat down in his seat, before reaching out to grab him. But Mito propped him up on her hip, holding him next to the refrigerator. 

“See, doesn’t hurt anymore,” said Mito, wiping Gon’s hands off before he could rub his eyes. “You’re lucky he didn’t get the poisonous ones.” 

“Yeah, honestly,” he said, chewing on his bottom lip. “Last night was a bit of a blur, I can’t remember if I brought him to bed with me or not-”

Mito’s eyes widened as she walked over closer to him, leaning in to catch a whiff of his breath, confirming her suspicions. 

“Are you hungover?” asked Mito. Ging sighed, looking off to the side. “Seriously?!”

“I told the guys down at the pier just a few drinks, but-”

“You took a toddler out drinking with you?” Mito turned to face Gon. “And then left him on the porch overnight, probably.”

“I didn’t leave him on the porch,” snapped Ging. 

“Prove it,” said Mito, putting her other hand on her hip. “That’s where I found him, with the berries.” Ging rolled his eyes. 

“The kid knows how to open doors, I think,” he said, looking over towards the front door. “But he doesn’t know how to unlock them-”

“Don’t pin this on me, you’re the last one who got back last night,” said Mito. She switched hips she was holding Gon on; he was tiny but still a lot heavier than she expected. Ging tapped his fingers obnoxiously on the wooden table as he thought. 

From Ging’s point of view, he was finally in the wrong. He’d both gotten trashed with Gon, and forgotten to lock the door, allowing Gon to escape and be unsupervised for who knew how long. Maybe it’d finally get through his thick skill that he’s not equipped to raise a child. Even in someplace as safe as Whale Island. 

Mito set Gon down on the counter before pulling out some painkillers and a glass of water. She slammed them down on the table next to Ging. 

“Go take a nap, I’ll take care of  _ your son,”  _ said Mito, scooping the little boy off the counter. She didn’t bother turning around to see if Ging took them or not before closing the door to her room. She put Gon down on her bed, watching as he just stared at her with his big golden eyes. Ging was right, the kid looked  _ just _ like him, almost uncomfortably so. He had an innocence Ging lacked, perhaps because his features were softer and he didn’t outright give her cocky vibes. 

“Does your mouth still hurt?” asked Mito. Gon shook his head no. She smiled at him. 

“I’m glad,” she said, as Gon grabbed one of her pillows, immediately putting it in his mouth. Mito sighed. She’d wash it later to get all the spit off it. But suddenly it hit her. The spoon. It was still outside. Mito peeked her head out the door. Ging’s door was still open, meaning he was still in the kitchen. Damn. She could probably make it outside real quick, claim she was getting the newspaper if Ging spotted her, and hide the spoon until she made it back into her room. Alright, that sounded like a plan. Mito left Gon sitting on her bed as she walked out. 

She froze. Ging held the wooden spoon in his hand, looking at it intently as he closed the door. Shit, he’d realize that she went out there before she found him with the berries, and if he connected the dots, then he’d know she planted them. She needed to think quickly. 

“Thinking of finally learning how to cook?” she joked, trying her best to pretend she had nothing to do with the situation. Ging set the spoon down on the table. 

“How’d Gon get up onto the counters?” he muttered to himself, opening some of the lower cabinets while putting some weight on them to judge if the toddler could have possibly used them to climb his way up. “I raised a spider monkey.”

Mito breathed a sigh of relief. Good, Ging just assumed Gon was being a little rascal again. She went back to her room, lying back first onto the bed as Gon continued to teeth on her pillow. 

“I’m sorry,” Mito whispered softly before giving him a kiss on the forehead. 

“Sorry,” mumbled Gon. Mito looked at the little boy. He had nothing to be sorry for. 

* * *

There weren’t any incidents for a few days, but Mito was still on edge. She couldn’t stop thinking about the past few days. Whale Island was admittedly a lot safer than most places Ging tended to travel, and there were still troubling incidents here. Ging wasn’t taking his parenting role seriously. But it wasn’t just him he was affecting, he was putting Gon at risk. 

“You’re leaving Gon with me,” declared Mito, holding him on one hip, standing next to the couch. Ging looked up from the newspaper he was reading, eyebrows knit together. 

“What? That’s ridiculous, he’s my son. He belongs with me.”

She couldn’t keep Ging here. It was impossible, he was never thinking in the present, only for what was to come. Would he ever truly be satisfied with anything with his constant need to experience something new and exciting? Haphazardly throwing himself into new situations, taking on projects well beyond his means, actually  _ doing _ something with his life. 

But that didn’t mean Gon had to follow in his footsteps. Ging didn’t know the first thing about child rearing. 

“He’ll only hinder you,” said Mito. “I know you’d never give up your adrenaline junkie rushes, and I wouldn’t put it past you to put him in harm’s way.”  
“I’d never do that-”

“You already have. You let him disappear  _ twice,  _ and that’s within the span of a week. I have no idea how many times you’ve put him in danger before,” said Mito. “But I can only assume the answer isn’t none.” 

Ging set the newspaper down completely. 

“So you’re taking him? You think you know more about raising a kid than me?” asked Ging.

“Pretty much, yeah,” said Mito. “I’ve been taking care of our neighbor’s kids for years now while you were off doing who the hell knows what. So yeah, I’d say I have a bit more experience than you do. Ging pursed his lips. 

“You think you know me, you don’t,” said Ging sternly. “You knew me when I was 12, and you’ve made some assumptions about me now. I think they’re mostly incorrect.”

“Then that’s your fault for not  _ letting _ me know you!” cried out Mito. “I’ve tried to talk to you, but you make it so difficult sometimes.”

“Maybe we’re just not that compatible,” suggested Ging. Mito felt a stinging pain in her heart. Ging was blunt enough to cut right through, right where it hurt. 

Mito sat down on the couch, next to Ging, and sat Gon down next to her. She turned to face him. It felt weird to have a conversation, her standing over him, Ging barely paying attention. But he couldn’t ignore her if she was right next to him. 

“Fine, tell me more about yourself,” said Mito. “That way I can correct my  _ assumptions.” _

“What do you want to know, my favorite color, or some bullshit-”

“Where’s Gon’s mother,” Mito demanded, crossing her arms. That was how little she knew. Was she an ex girlfriend, ex wife, were they even ever together? Did Ging still care about her? 

Ging shook his head. 

“We split up a while ago-”

“I’m surprised you ended up with custody, kids usually stay with their mothers. What did you even  _ feed _ him, you can’t breastfeed,” said Mito. Ging took a deep breath in, then out. He still wouldn’t make eye contact with her. Mito chewed on her bottom lip. 

“I don’t really want to discuss this with you, you’re-”

“Just a kid, yes, I know.” Mito’s voice was sharp enough that Ging flinched after hearing it. “But you were just a kid, even younger than I, when you left to be a hunter. And I’m a lot more knowledgeable than you think I am. I know how to deal with children, I’ve been babysitting the kids down the block since I was nine.”

Ging was silent for a moment, and Mito wasn’t sure if he was deep in thought or giving her the silent treatment until he spoke up again. 

“Sometimes you get caught up in the moment and forget that other people exist in the world, and that your presence actually has an impact,” started Ging, taking his hat off to rub his hand through his hair awkwardly. “When you’re young, you make a lot of really stupid decisions without thinking of the consequences. And I’m not saying Gon was a stupid decision, I love that little kid, I really do. His mother didn’t think she could be a hunter and a mother at the same time, so she wanted to give him up for adoption. I took him instead to prove I could do it-”

“So that’s all this is to you? Some stupid bet? An ‘I told you so?’ Are you out of your mind! There’s more that goes into childrearing than just  _ existing  _ around the kid,” snapped Mito. Ging’s phrasing had been awkward, as if he were stumbling around the words. She recognized it immediately. Ging had the appearance of someone who said exactly what came to mind, and while when he didn’t care about the consequences, he did, other times he masked his carefully thought out phrases as mindless quips. This was different. He was processing the thoughts while talking to her. It felt more exposed, more raw, more… Ging. 

“I never said there wasn’t any merit with her,” Ging interjected. “I’ve been thinking since this morning, and what if Gon had found the poisonous berries. I just keep seeing that face in my mind, he was in so much pain and I just wanted it to stop and he kept crying and crying. He asked me to help, and I couldn’t do anything. I was supposed to help him. And I couldn’t.”

The two of them were silent, both wracked with guilt for different reasons. Mito saw Ging’s hands shaking slightly. 

“He’s a tough kid, but it’s like he’s on some self-destruct autopilot the moment I take my eyes off him,” said Ging. He turned to face Mito for the first time that night. “You want to take him from me, right?”

“In a sense, yes, I suppose I do,” said Mito, holding her hand on Gon’s back. 

“What if I left him here for a few years,” said Ging. “At least until he’s out of that stage.” 

Mito clenched her jaw. This was just typical of him. Showing up and going as he pleased. 

“No. You leave him with me, and you’re not coming back,” said Mito. “You’re either going to be a father to him, or you’re not. None of this half and half bullshit.”

“Oh come on, Mito, are you still mad about me leaving-”

“Yes, fucking yes, I’m still mad. There, I said it. You knew it, I knew it, and you fucking made me say it,” yelled Mito. “I know what it feels like to get left behind, you’re not going to do that to Gon!”

“We’ve already had this argument-”

“I can’t believe I ever looked up to you,” said Mito, looking up at Ging’s amber eyes. “I used to think you were so cool. You were my older cousin, I idolized you, and you’re just a run of the mill  _ asshole.” _ Ging flinched. 

“It’s not my fault I couldn’t be someone you wanted me to,” he said. Mito clicked her tongue. 

“Not even an apology, nothing,” said Mito. “You don’t even care.”  
“Why should I?”

“You know what? I’ve changed my mind. Fuck you, you’re not going to give Gon hope that you’re some great guy. It’ll just let him down if he ever meets you. You’re going to leave him with me, then you’re going to leave.”

“He won’t even remember me now, he’s barely conscious.”

“Then he won’t remember you at all after you go,” said Mito. Ging took a deep breath in and out as if he couldn’t believe the bullshit he was dealing with right now. Mito couldn’t believe it either. 

“I’m taking you to court,” blurted out Mito. “You’ve proved yourself to be negligent and a bad influence too many times, I’m sure the court would vote in my favor.” Ging laughed, but not the fun kind, no, he was  _ pissed. _

“So that’s it, you’re just going to force custody away from me,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Man, when did you become such a headache.”

“I’ve always been one,” said Mito under her breath. “It’s what’s best for Gon.”

“No, it’s not what’s best for Gon,” said Ging. “This isn’t about Gon at all, this is about you having some childish grudge against me. This whole time I’ve been back you’ve been coming back to that, again, and again, and I’m sick of hearing about it. I know I left. And guess what? I had a great time. 10/10, would do it again.” 

“Then go. Leave again,” said Mito, pointing to the door. “But Gon’s staying here with me.”

“We’ll see what the court decides,” said Ging, pushing past her as he walked back to the house. Mito felt her heart rate racing as she held on tightly to Gon. Court was supposed to be a last case scenario, but she couldn’t believe she actually said that out loud. It was going to be tough, though. Ging was Gon’s biological dad, that combined with the fact he was a legal adult were enough for him to secure custody. But if she played her cards right, she could share the right evidence that he wasn’t cut out to be a parent, and if his recklessness was deemed a potential harm to Gon’s wellbeing, she would get custody for sure. 

Even if Ging won custody, she hoped it would be a wakeup call to him that he needed to take better care of his kid. Getting humiliated in front of the jury on the island might even be enough for him to rethink some of his actions. If it was even possible for Ging to get humiliated, the guy did so many cringey things on a daily basis without a care that it was a realistic doubt. 

If she worked at it, she could do it.

But she didn’t need to. 

Three days later at the court hearing, Mito was declared Gon’s legal guardian. 

* * *

Ging disappeared for four days. Mito wasn’t surprised at all, especially not after what happened at the court. But what did surprise her, was the fact that during the night of the fourth day, he showed back up, awkwardly standing near the front door. 

Normally she would have made a comment about how he had the  _ audacity _ to show up again, but decided to can it. He knew already. She did too. Why point out the elephant in the room? 

“I, uh, I made him a little recording. For when he’s older,” said Ging awkwardly handing Mito a box. “Don’t bother trying to open it, or do it, I don’t care. You won’t be able to get it open anyways.”

“Let me guess,” said Mito, putting the box up on the top shelf of the kitchen. “It’s an autobiography of how cool you are and how I chased you away.”

“You wish,” joked Ging. He pulled up a chair at the table, twiddling his thumbs as he sat there pensively. 

“You didn’t show up at the court hearing,” said Mito. “You’re his father, you could have won custody for good.” She was a bit annoyed; she’d prepared her speech, carefully selecting the best words and anecdotes to use to convince the court that she was better fit to be Gon’s parent. But Ging didn’t even show. It was annoying, she technically didn’t  _ win _ custody from him by proving her competence, he lost it by proving his incompetence. 

“I’ve been thinking about our conversation. You’re right, it’s not fair if he looks up to me as his father and I’m never around. If he’s dead set on finding me, I’m sure he’ll be able to do it. But he has to really want it. I’ll look out for him from afar, he is still my  _ son,  _ afterall.” Ging gave Mito an awkward smile. “And you certainly nag enough to be a mother, you chewed my ears off so many times this week.”

“That’s not the compliment you think it is,” joked Mito. She pulled up the chair opposite Ging, and sat down, getting one last good look at him. He looked older than  _ her,  _ but the more she thought about it, he didn’t really look old at all. He still had his youthful charms, and of course his immature demeanor.

“You’ll appreciate it when you’re older,” joked Ging. Mito tightened her upper lip. 

“I’m sure I won’t.”

The next morning, Ging wasn’t there. 

And the next. 

And the next. 

Weeks passed. 

Mito walked Gon outside, sitting him on the porch steps, looking over at the horizon. Part of her assumed Ging would grow frustrated at losing custody of Gon, and show up again to take him. Or to realize that he wanted to be a father after all. But the other part of her knew that when Ging set his mind to something, he was unlikely to change his mind. Afterall, he had chosen to be a hunter. 

She’d tell Gon that his parents died. It was a lot easier than explaining to a little kid that his father chose his occupation over him. And besides, there was no way Ging was coming back, so she wouldn’t have to risk him finding out the truth. Why have him spend his life idolizing someone who came and went like a quick breeze, lingering just long enough to leave an impression, but was unpredictable enough that it may never come back. Some things were better kept between the few who knew about them. 

**Author's Note:**

> I got infected by brainworms and cranked this out in ~2 days, hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did. I think people are a bit too harsh on Mito and Ging both in fandom, we don't see much of the canon situation so it's all speculation. Hopefully I did it justice :P 
> 
> As always, please let me know your thoughts on this!


End file.
